The 43-year-old filmmaker says he does not like his work to be categorised into parallel or serious cinema, as his films are no less entertaining than commercial movies.
"My films are equally commercial. I make movies to entertain people and also pass on a message. Entertainment does not only mean singing and dancing. I don't think cinema should be divided. I take a middle path and try and explore things," he told PTI.
The director, who has spent seven years in Bollywood, says the biggest challenge the industry faces right now is finding a market for all kinds of movies.
"Multiplexes have wiped out the market of independent movies. Earlier, with single screens a lot more independent movies were accessible but now we don't have that. Because of this our own regional movies are not accessible. We talk about our movies going to Cannes and Venice but it is a sad situation when staying in India we haven't watched our own films," he said.
The filmmaker, however, is glad that industry has opened up to new talent and is encouraging young filmmakers.
"It is now comparatively easy to make a film, though I still face a problem to finance my films. But unlike before when young talent wasn't being encouraged, industry is now opening up because the audience has become smart. People now understand what they want and what films they want to watch," said Onir, who is at IFFI here to attend a panel discussion on 'Paradigm shift in India cinema'.
"I have always been a regular at film festivals, I think this is the best platform to see all kinds of movies. But my only problem is that these festivals shouldn't be held at one. Not everybody can afford a trip to Goa or specially come here and also Goa is not exactly a cinema hub. Our major audience is in metros."